Midwife
A midwife is a specialty type of nurse that helps a woman prepare for the birth of her child and assists with the delivery. This is common for women who want to have a home birth. In most cases a midwife provides the prenatal care for the mother in her home as well. If the pregnancy is considered high risk a doctor may recommend a midwife to the patient. This is because a midwife can provide more one on one attention.
In most states a midwife has to have a license in order to legally practice. In most cases this program involves a combination of classroom training with assisting for a set amount of hours with a certified midwife. Midwives generally have insurance coverage to assist them with any issues that may occur with the mother or the baby under their care.
According to history records being a midwife was among the first aspects of the medical field women were allowed to participate in. Midwives became popular in the United Stats in the mid 1920’s. Until 1939 women learned the trade by working along side other midwives with experience. It was at this time the first school for midwives was established. Initially midwives were in place to assist women who were too far from a hospital to get the care they needed. Later it became a convenience rather than a necessity.
Today midwives are found all over the United States. Many women turn to them because they want to work closely with a midwife to have a home birth and a great experience during their pregnancy. Midwives also work various hours to meet the needs of the pregnant person and their spouse. This can help if getting off work for prenatal appointments is a problem.
Midwives are able to perform all the same care as a doctor. This includes prescribing prenatal vitamins and other medications that the mother may need during the pregnancy. They also help the family prepare for the new baby. Most of them follow up with the mother for a period of time with a postpartum program as well. The majority of midwives are also licensed nurses who have experience working in the area of obstetrics. There are more than 5,000 midwives currently licensed in the United States.
